


I'm Burnin' For You

by WincestMistress



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean, Alpha Sam, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angry Sam, Confused Sam, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Drug Abuse, Eventual Wincest, Fluffy Ending, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Omega Dean, POV Sam Winchester, Protective Charlie, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Sick Dean Winchester, Soulmates, Wincest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 07:12:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2642819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WincestMistress/pseuds/WincestMistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a well-known fact that alphas never got ill, but Dean, an omega-rights working alpha, falls ill one night- it's up to Sam to work out how this happened and why Dean won't let anyone help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Flames

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first story published on here, let me know what you think.

My relationship with Dean was...strange- strange for a pair of alpha brothers at least.  
He was famous; everyone knew the legendary Dean Winchester, the man with countless omegas more than willing to roll over for him at the deadly wink of one of those sparkling green eyes- the one who was also a very strong omega rights activist. It was a weird and surprising mix, but hey, that was my brother.  
With him having practically raised me since our useless dad had gone mad after our mom died, I still lived with him at the age of twenty-three, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He seemed to like having me around and got uneasy when I left without him to venture to the library, and admittedly I felt the same way whenever he sloped off to a bar to pick up some omega guy.  
He occasionally brought them back home; it wasn't something I was entirely comfortable with, but I didn't have the heart to say something about it, especially with the care he expressed for them. A few times I'd accidentally walked in on him with someone or with them both passed out on the floor; there was one thing I would always respect him for, he never took an omega in the way most alphas would, in the typical 'breeding' position on all fours. No, he was always face-to-face with them, as a way of showing how he felt about their equality and mutual enjoyment- it was something he’d taught me about from a young age. Perhaps that was also why he only slept with omegas of a long, pure lineage, whose scents were strong enough to almost overpower the aroma of alpha entirely during their encounter. Those times when I'd find Dean passed out on top of someone…I'd usually catch just a glimpse of that look of pure serenity on his toughened features; like he was somewhere he belonged, as I pulled a blanket over the pair. After all he'd done for me, and for all his bravado, it was a heart-warming sight, beautiful even. If being with an omega was what made him happy then that was where he should be, though I always questioned why he didn’t actually take a mate.  
I, on the other hand, didn't have much interest in sex in all honesty. On those very rare occasions where I needed it, I'd just pick up a beta girl- never an omega; Dean had raised me to understand and respect the fragility of them enough to doubt that I could ever be as gentle and caring as required, not without understanding them well enough first. There was only one person in my life that I dreamed of having a relationship with, but two alphas together rarely worked out. Of course, Dean had no interest in an alpha like me, nor did he have any desire for betas while he had an endless supply of omegas- and there were more female betas these days anyway; men were more his thing.

“Sam!” he called irritably from the bottom of the black glass staircase that I'd barely put my foot on, “Come on, man! You're gonna make me late for my own event.”  
I half-heartedly growled at him as I trudged by, earning a light snarl in return and just a slight glimpse of those perfectly pearly fangs, before he followed me out of the penthouse apartment we shared.  
With two alphas alone in a household it wasn't surprising that we had small spats, especially as we were brothers. What was weird was how, even when battling for the dominance that he clearly held over me as the oldest and most authoritative, he never let himself lose control and his eyes burn red- I often accidentally did. No, he simply growled and lunged at me until I saw reason and backed down.  
I'd take a swipe at him though, when he obviously deserved it, and still he would never let his irises slip to that bloodthirsty tone that far too many alphas used against their omegas. Maybe that was why.  
It was some sort of charity event, the thing I was being dragged to by Dean, to promote the pro-omega network for a big governmental move that was coming up- most of those terms had little meaning to me, but it mattered to him, so of course I stood at his side.  
“Sorry,” I muttered once we'd finally piled into the Impala that he insisted on keeping; he could afford a Maserati with the sort of money he had, but refused to spend it on something like a car- though I think he'd always been in love with the old Chevy we'd grown up in anyway, “you look great.”  
“Damn straight I do,” he cheered, though consciously fussed with his bow tie, making me smile a little; he still wasn't used to this, always preferring the loose, casual side of things, then he looked to me with the quirky grin that made all the omegas swoon, “you ain't lookin' too bad yourself, Sammy. Glad I made you change outta your jeans.”  
I sent him a look that he so affectionately called a 'bitchface', then looked away out of the window, watching as the city lights began to rush by.  
“Listen, I know you hate this kind of thing, but it's just one night- I'm not gonna make you come to any more,” he stated surprisingly softly, then seemed to glare to himself as I looked back over at him, “I'll come to one o' your trials if you like. I mean, I might fall asleep but, y'know, I'll still be there and-”  
“Dean,” I said quickly, cutting off his babble with a frown, “I said I'd come to this for you, I don't need anything in return, but are you alright? You seem kinda nervous; that's not like you.”  
With nothing but a quiet hum and nod in reply, he opened the windows, fidgeting with his collar once again as he drove.  
As usual, the press greeted Dean with a hundred camera flashes as the Impala's doors creaked open outside the exhibition centre, a few turning to me: the tall, long haired alpha lawyer always at his side, but I was, luckily, of limited interest to the reporters.  
The event itself wasn't that big a thing; it was the guests that were- there were a few alphas from the government studying Dean's part of the night, having finally paid attention to the news of an alpha campaigning for the poor omegas that didn't have enough power to stand up for themselves.  
The omegas were the usual lot; my brother's typical fan following that would do anything for him- and usually did. The betas were more interested in swooning after Dean than what he had to say in the hope that they could be the exception to his omega-only rule, but never had any alphas besides me paid the omega network any attention.  
It was a pretty big night.  
I had never really been sure what had inspired him to do what he did; I knew that our mom had been an omega, perhaps he was doing it for her, but it didn't seem like a good enough reason to me. Maybe he'd once had an omega friend that had been abused or had wanted to be something like a doctor but couldn't because of this crappy society. Stupid really, since omegas are often more intelligent than alphas.  
Maybe I'd find out someday, but I wouldn't pry- he was my brother, and often a complete dick, but he had my respect.

“I think they might listen this time,” I mused quietly as the night drew to a close, helping Dean clear up some of the displays with the omega group, “you were great- even those government guys clapped.”  
And he really had been brilliant; seeming to have ignored whatever had been bothering him earlier, though that was no longer the case.  
“Still gotta do more,” he sighed, though offered me a smile as he picked up a bottle of water with shaky hands, “but thanks, Sammy.”  
“You're good at this; you'll manage it,” I chuckled in reassurance, though frowned as he wobbled a little on his feet, beautiful bowlegs almost failing him, “dude, you haven't even gotten into the booze yet, are you okay?”  
He muttered some kind of deflection but was getting worried looks from the others too.  
“Sam, could we, uh, borrow Dean for a moment?” a small omega asked me, looking both determined and a bit daunted by my form, though, like most of them, he still looked at me with some hint of longing.  
I supposed it was only natural.  
I studied the man for a moment; he was pretty young with short black hair that fluffed up a little- his name was Kevin, if I remembered correctly, he'd been one of the key organisers along with Dean and Charlie, a fiery beta.  
I realised after a moment that I'd been glaring, and quickly shook the hostile expression off of my face- wouldn't want to upset any of them; it'd be Dean's rage I'd have to deal with if I did.  
“Sorry. Sure, but I think he's ill so I'd better get him home soon,” I nodded, feeling oddly possessive of my older brother, “I'll be downstairs.”  
On a normal day I'd have just sat in the car, cursing my own impatience, but with my worry for Dean bubbling up I didn't dare leave the building without him.  
The shorter alpha gave a pale nod to me as he followed Kevin, stumbling slightly against a table as he moved.  
Once I saw that he was in the capable hands of a couple of older omega women, Jody and Ellen, the former shooting me a smile that held a promise, I made my way down the stairs to the lobby.  
Taking a deep breath, I revelled in the fresh, night air; not an omega within range of my sensitive nose. It wasn't that they smelt bad- the opposite in fact; the scent they produced was mouth-watering, and though I'd been around them long enough to become pretty resilient to it, it still made my head feel fuzzy after a while.  
“How long has he been like that?” a voice suddenly asked from beside me, scaring the crap out of me and making me bare my fangs at the short redhead that had appeared, “Woah, chillax man! You're in charge here, just trying to, you know, help your brother. Seriously though, with the way you guys snap and snarl I sometimes wonder if I need to do some serious beta campaigning too, because the hostility; totally not cool. I mean, I know that you're-“  
“Charlie!” I shouted with a thin smile to shut her up for a moment, “I didn't mean to...you made me jump; little tense right now. Sorry.”  
She just hummed an agreement in response as I sighed, running stressed hands through my hair.  
Alphas rarely got ill.  
On the other hand, omegas got ill quite often, whether due to their heats or pregnancies, or just random colds and viruses- guess it was just their weak systems. Not that they themselves were weak; many had the will to be strong but were subdued by alphas or their more fragile bodies.  
I guess it made me feel a little better that there was a group of trustworthy and understanding omegas looking after an ill Dean for a moment.

“No! You know I can't!” I heard my brother half-whine, half-growl at his friends, and climbed the stairs in seconds to find him slouched over in a chair, limbs drawn in together as he glared at them, “There has to be something else, anything. Please, just not that...I can’t.”  
Considering that he was the ill one, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach at the distress in his voice.  
I was at his side in the blink of an eye, making them jump as I stood over Dean protectively.  
“I swear, if any of you have hurt him or forced him into anything...,” I growled menacingly, eyes on the edge of flickering red as my head was suddenly swimming with the overpowering smell of omega.  
“Sam!” he hissed, a burning hand on the small of my back, “It's okay, they haven't done anything, they never would- 'm fine.”  
I turned around to glare at him, catching an unhealthily clammy hand in my stone grasp as I looked over his shaky, broad frame.  
“Are you kidding me? Like hell you are!” I spat, eyes darting around the room for any real signs of a threat, before settling back on the shaken omegas, “Now, do any of you have any idea what's wrong with him?”  
“Man, you gotta learn to relax,” a guy with a mullet drawled from the chair he was lazing in, “it's just a virus; y'know, the kind that a lotta exposure to will even affect alphas. Ellen, just give him the damn pills, whether he actually takes them or not.”  
The man, Ash I believed, gestured vaguely to the older woman and my brother, but seemed more focused on scruffing up his hair even more.  
He was intelligent, probably the smartest in the room- and we all knew that, so I took in what he said.  
One of them had unintentionally done this to him.  
Dean shot him a scalding look that would usually have scared the leaves off trees, but his heart wasn't in it; even when directed at Ellen as she locked eyes with me and chose to give me the small container instead.  
Turning it over, I identified the pills as the usual ones given to omegas that fell ill to a virus; the chemicals working to trigger a short heat that would allow them to sweat off the illness while their bodies eagerly took in more of their alpha's energy to recover- for unmated ones it just took a little longer but they usually pulled through.  
I was unsure what effect it would have on Dean, but it made sense that he would just sweat it off a bit too- or react badly and throw it all up; that bit wasn't pretty, but still not too bad a cleansing method in the long run.  
“Thank you, I, uh, sorry for scaring you, I just...my brother,” I held my hands out to show I didn't actually mean any harm as I struggled to explain myself- I didn’t know what was going on with Dean getting paler and paler; I wasn't usually this protective, of anyone.  
Most of them were shooting me irritated glares, but some of the few I'd known for a while just gave a begrudged nod of acceptance.  
“Just keep an eye on him, 'kay Sam?” Jody sighed with a slight smile, before stepping in a little closer to speak to me quietly, “It's okay, we know you're freaking out, it's just that a load of these guys are pretty new around here and, well, they know Dean's good and all but are still a bit wary of you, y'know? I mean, even for an alpha, you're built like a freaking tree. Anyway, the meds should help but you gotta look after him...we can't really put what he has into words, but it ain't pretty. He's gonna need you with him, and he isn't exactly going to be easy about it."  
“I don't need lookin' after!” Dean suddenly piped up with a snarl, heaving himself up, only to fall back into his chair, head lolling as he lost consciousness.  
“Yeah, Dean, sure,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes, glazing my unease and worry over with sarcasm as usual, “don't you guys worry, I'll get him back on his feet, but if you do think of anything else to help him just give me a call.”  
I gathered up the furnace of a man into my arms after pocketing the pills, lifting him to carry him to his beloved car; he'd probably be growling at me by now if he thought I'd even considered driving her.  
Leaving the crowd of omegas behind, I carried Dean down the stairs, nodding my thanks to Charlie, who held open the doors and helped me get him into the Impala.  
It felt strange to sit in the driver's seat for once and feel the raw power of the old beauty in my hands, but I hardly had a moment to focus on this before Dean stirred, sending broken mumbles my way. Biting my lip as I sent a worried glance his way, I got us back to the apartment in record time, thankful that the elevator was in service this time.

“Fuck off Sam!” was all I got once I'd managed to sit him on the couch, groaning and shooting me something on the general theme of a glare as he curled in on himself, “'M fine. Quit fussin' over me.”  
I sighed and drew back; it was somewhat understandable how he was acting, I'd probably be no different if I was the ill one- alphas just weren't meant to get sick and seem so, well, weak.  
For that exact reason I needed to try to be patient with him rather than challenging him or fighting as we usually did.  
It was going to be hard.  
“Stop talking,” I muttered, collecting some ice from the freezer into a cloth distractedly as I read the info on the pills, “this is serious, Dean; you've caught a virus off your friends. I'm not letting you just shrug this off like its nothing and make yourself worse.”  
He just grunted, pushing back his sweat-slicked spikes as he gratefully accepted the makeshift ice pack and pressed it against the back of his neck.  
“Just don't want my lil brother fawning over me like I'm some injured puppy,” he huffed, though he'd lost the will to actually appear pissed off, so gave a rueful smile instead, “I made it through worse. I'll be fine, Sammy.”  
I paused for a moment- what the hell did he mean by that? There wasn't a time in his life that I could remember him suffering like this.  
He made stuff up more than often.  
“Sure you have,” I laughed lightly, trying to ease his mood and coax him into letting me take care of him, “but Dean, you've looked after me for most of my life; now I've gotta make sure you're okay. Just this once, alright?”  
He reluctantly nodded, sitting up as I passed him a glass of ice water, quickly pressing it against the burning skin of his cheek before eagerly slurping it.  
After so long watching him, looking up to him, seeing him as the alpha I wanted to be, it was strange; he looked so small and defensive, rather than his usual confidently rowdy self.  
It wasn't right- I needed to get him back to how he belonged.  
“What does it feel like?” I asked quietly, watching him release a long, shaky breath as he put the glass back up to his cheek.  
“Really? We're gonna do this? You wanna cuddle and watch a movie while we're at it?” he laughed bitterly, though lowered his gaze at the unamused pursing of my lips, “It sucks, okay Sam? Imagine the hottest you've ever been, then imagine an omega in heat- it's somewhere between the two and I'd rather not talk about it.”  
“Okay,” I nodded as I sat down on the other end of the couch, a little shocked at how he'd described the intensity of what he felt, “anything I can get you?”  
“Nah,” he sighed, though looked thankful that I dropped it, “just wanna try 'n' sleep.”  
Seeing that he had no intention of moving, I got back up and retreated to the kitchen counter.  
“Call me if you want more ice or anything,” I offered quietly, picking up the small pot to check the info again- better safe than sorry, right?  
“Thanks, Sammy,” he murmured, eyes closed as he tried to sprawl out into a cooler position.  
“Here,” I held one of the small orange tablets out to him, his eyes lazily opening before they widened in what I could only call panic, “I know you don't want them, but they should help.”  
I'd barely finished speaking when he leapt over the back of the couch, irises almost consumed by blackness.  
“Keep those things away from me!” he all but roared with such an amount of anger radiating from him that I'd never seen before in him.  
He kept his teeth bared furiously at me, flaring up my own fiery temper as my lips curled back into a snarl; he was being completely unreasonable- I was just trying to get him healthy again, and he knew it.  
“Dean,” I growled lowly, my eyes burning as they bled to deep red- I could hardly think through the haze of my rage.  
The stupid bastard would never accept anyone's help and usually ended up in some kind of shit for it.  
Towering menacingly over the other alpha, I flexed my muscles in warning, but something I'd not expected happened; Dean held his own for only a few seconds before a look of pure terror passed across his features.  
And then, he ran.

I was caught completely off guard, watching in dazed confusion as my brother scrambled out of the room.  
What the hell? He was ill- apparently not too ill to move once the adrenaline kicked in, but he had never run like that before; not from a challenging alpha, and certainly not from me.  
Taking a few deep breaths to shake off my anger and try and get a hold on the situation, I carefully followed.  
He was hiding in the bathroom of all places; behind the one door that either of us could tear down with ease if we wished- as worried and confused as I was, I didn't do so for fear that I'd make it worse.  
“Dean, I'm sorry,” I called softly against the door, “you know I've got a short fuse too, but come on; tell me what's wrong. Let me help.”  
“Jus' leave me alone,” his voice sounded small, terrified- it wasn't right, “you can't help me, Sam. Just go.”  
I didn't sleep that night.


	2. Scorch Marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's getting worse, but little by little is opening up to Sam- but will he like what he finds?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I forgot to put in the detail that this was unfinished last night. Rookie mistake xD Thank you to those who commented!

"You look like hell," Dean stated with all of his usual bravado as he strolled into the kitchen, snapping me out of my meditative state, "you okay down there?"  
"I- am I okay? Are you okay?" I gasped, heaving myself up off the floor, nose wrinkling slightly as I caught his omega laced scent, "Shit, I'm so sorry about last night, I didn't mean-"  
"Sam! Stop it. I'm fine, I mean I'm still a friggin' furnace and I might throw my guts up any minute, but I'm okay," he smiled, waving me away, though there was a hint of unease to his actions.  
“What...what happened last night?" I asked hesitantly with cautiously raised brows, and then sighed, "I just need to make sure that whatever got to you doesn't happen again."  
He was silent for a while; I wasn't sure he was going to talk ever again, let alone answer my question.  
“I can't take those pills, Sammy, I just can't. I wish I could explain why, but it'd ruin everything," he sighed, sad emeralds meeting my eyes, "pass me a glass of water, will you?"  
I held his gaze for a moment before nodding with a troubled look- what was wrong with those pills?  
There was something strange about the air around Dean; I would have put it down to the virus if it were not for the way I recognised the smell that hung in the air, the same one I'd smelt for years- maybe he'd always had the virus and only now had it gotten worse.  
Was that what his meds were for?  
I silently passed him what he was after; choosing not to ask about anything until he was a bit better, but I would need answers someday.

He was worse that day; the morning wasn't too bad, but by midday he had unbidden tears running freely down his cheeks and sweat dripping from his back as he writhed on his bed.  
Feeling powerless being just at his side or watching from the doorway, I did what I did best: research.  
"Nope, that don't sound like any omega virus I ever heard of," Bobby huffed in confusion once I'd called him up and explained what was going on, "also, dunno how to tell you this Sam, but alphas don't get viruses- I’d’ve thought you knew that by now. Omegas say Dean's got it off them? Lyin', unless there's somethin' new goin' around that I haven't heard about yet."  
"I doubt it, Bobby," I sighed, a hand covering my face as I gritted my teeth in frustration, "well, thanks for your help. Just tell me if you catch wind of anything, okay?"  
"Sure thing," he agreed, tone rough as I heard him set down a bottle, "let me know what happens. I been lookin' out for you boys for years; if you need me over there I'll come soon as I can, but you know your brother, he can be...well, stupid and stubborn enough to outlast a donkey."  
"You're telling me that," I joked lightly, trying to relax my tight muscles in the soft armchair, "thanks Bobby."  
I hung up without another word, letting out a long breath; so that was one of our closest friends and the best genealogist I knew crossed off the very short list.  
There was another man, someone that Dean had been in contact with for a while- I'd hoped I wouldn't have to talk to this one.  
Crowley was his name, he was a nasty piece of work for a beta; had he been born an alpha he'd be the type to abuse omegas or even sell them off, but Dean kept in contact with him all the same. I would have thought it strange, but he was my brother's supplier of many things, from the best Scotch whiskey to something far less innocent. Dean would never tell me what kind of drugs they were, only that they weren't exactly cheap or easy to get. We left it at that.  
"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" his deep English accent asked the second the ringing stopped, "And you might want to explain how exactly you came across this number."  
"Crowley, Sam Winchester," I stated shortly, brow furrowing at the mere sound of his voice, "got your number from Dean."  
"Hey, Moose!" he cheered, making me groan at the ridiculous nickname he'd given me years ago, "Long time no flirt, but I'm guessing you're not calling just for a little girl to girl, so what're you after?"  
"I need to know what's in the drugs you supply Dean with," I replied, taking a considerable amount of effort to keep my voice steady.  
"Woah, woah, you know, we've got code words for a reason," he huffed in a hushed tone, "what? You after a little something yourself now? Trust me, you don't want what your brother's getting. Though, I could work out a little something if you want a try; there's a new-"  
"This is about more than just your little deals," I growled into the defenceless phone as I closed my eyes, "Dean is seriously ill and I'm just after some answers. Is there anything in the stuff he buys from you that will help or make him worse? I swear, if you don't give me a straight answer...."  
"No, damn. I warned the idiot about this. I warned him, Sam," Crowley sighed, a surprising amount of genuine worry in his tone- that was bad, "keep everything I've sold him away from him- except the whiskey; you might be needing it soon."  
"You know what this is?" I gasped, pressing the glass screen closer against my ear, "What's wrong with my brother?"  
"He'll tell you soon enough if he knows what's good for him," was the muttered reply I got just before he hung up, making me puff out an irritated breath, fingers warping the wood of the table slightly.  
What the hell was in these things Dean was taking?

I walked with determination to his room and silently slipped in, glancing around in the dark.  
"Whatcha you lookin' for?" he laughed quietly, rolling over to face me, "'M still here."  
"I talked to Crowley," I stated, unsure how else to put it, sitting on the end of the bed as he shuffled uncomfortably, "stop taking anything he's sold you- he didn't tell me what it was, only that it's making you worse."  
"What? You-you talked to Crowley? You hate the guy; why would you do that?" he gasped, tone full of confused betrayal, which, of course, turned to anger, "Whatever, it doesn't matter. I can't stop taking them, Sam, it's not that easy. If I stop then everything I've done will fall apart, even you."  
"Things are going to crash and burn anyway if you keep making yourself ill!" I growled quietly, though softened my tone a little when he flinched, "Listen, I talked to Bobby and Crowley because I need to work out how to help you, and you won't give me anything. Now, I know it isn't a virus and I know you were warned about taking whatever it is for so long, so I'm gonna have to assume that it's what made you ill in the first place. There's a lot I don't know about you, but you know me, man; you raised me. If that doesn't count for anything and you think I'd leave you for whatever you're hiding, I don't know what to tell you."  
He sat up, not meeting my gaze as he nodded, taking a deep breath, back soaking the headboard.  
"Scent enhancers," he muttered, staring disdainfully into his lap, glancing up at my confused expression after a few beats of silence, "Sam?"  
"Really, you're making yourself ill on, what, nose Viagra?" I asked, shaking my head incredulously; unable to believe that it was something so bizarre, but simple, "Dean, why do you even need them? Your personality alone can get you anyone in the world, let alone your amazing body- you don't need to have an extremely strong scent. Please, just stop using them until you're well again, and then, if you really still want them, use a different kind."  
He looked like he blushed a little at that, and I half-realised my slip up, but he just shrugged and looked away again, wiping his arm against his forehead; I knew him well enough to know it wasn't out of shame.  
"What else?" I asked through gritted teeth, glaring at his evasiveness, "Come on, what else are you taking?"  
My breath caught in my throat as he impulsively did something that, if I didn't know any better, I would describe as cowering, pushing himself as far away from me as he could, making himself look smaller rather than bigger.  
"Dean," I snarled, slipping into the deep, authoritative alpha tone that I, for some reason, subconsciously yearned to use on him; though this was pointless as it was only really effective on the fairer breed, "look at me."  
And so he did, emeralds filled with what looked like...fear.  
It didn't make sense; why was he scared of me?  
He knew that I was harmless towards him and would never actually try to hurt him; of course, we often challenged one another and had small tussles, but it was never anything serious, it was just natural for us.  
I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I moved up the bed towards him, hands out to show that I meant no harm, which made him relax slightly.  
"I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated," I said gently, a hand on his inferno of a shoulder effectively comforting him as I gave a sad smile, "I just need to get you better; I'm trying to help you. Please don't be afraid of me, Dean, I can't hurt you- I'd never hurt you."  
He silently covered my hand with his, holding on to it tightly as he closed his eyes, tension beginning to seep out of him.  
"'S alright, Sammy," he finally said quietly, his hot head somehow ending up resting on me, "sorry, I don't want to be all secretive, but I've been doing this my whole life. I'm not used to talking to you 'bout things, so it's a little hard, okay? Yeah, I'm ill; I have no idea what my body is doing, you're scarin' the crap outta me, and now you're sticking your nose everywhere like a friggin' P.I. I'm worried and frustrated too, so just bear with me."  
I gently leant my head against his as I let him rant, occasionally reassuring or offering my apologies as his complaints went from me, to society, to the weather, and somehow back to how bad my feet smell after wearing my boots for a day.  
"They're in the drawer," he pointed out at the end, nodding to the bedside table, "the other ones from Crowley are suppressants."  
"That doesn't make sense...why do you need those?" I asked, blinking in confusion as I looked down at him, "You're just making your scent stronger but your genes weaker."  
"I, uh, yeah," he swallowed nervously, eyes trained on my chest as he reached for his glass and emptied it into his mouth, "I...in the past I was a violent alpha; I was so scared of hurting you when you were little, or an omega- I needed to do something about it. You can take the pills away- I haven't had any since last night, but I don't know what will happen. I'm sorry, Sam."  
I frowned into the shadows in the corner; I knew how my brother looked when he was lying and when he was giving up a secret, and that was a prime example of the former.  
I wasn't going to call him out on it; I was surprised to have gotten this much from him.  
"Woah, you don't need to apologise," I said quickly, shaking my head and tapping his hand as I slipped out of his grasp, "I'm glad you told me, but your past doesn't matter, Dean, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm not gonna try to force you to take whatever the omegas gave you; this is a good start. Maybe you'll feel a little better soon."  
With a last smile at him, I collected the small pots from the drawer.  
"You want anything to eat?" I asked as I headed for the door.  
"You can't cook," he laughed, shaking his head, then fidgeted with his shirt, "nah, thanks, just water."  
I left the room with a half-hearted chuckle, though sighed the second I was out of earshot.  
What was all that, Dean? Damn.  
Why was he still lying? Was it really that bad; bad enough that he couldn't tell me even at this point?  
Was it me?  
Distracted, I didn't even notice the tempting, lightly tanned skin of his bare chest when I brought him his drink- well, maybe I did a little.  
Returning reluctantly to the collection of pill pots that had accumulated in the kitchen, I studied the new additions.  
Yeah, those were powerful scent enhancers alright; the stuff was strong enough to make a beta smell like an alpha- possibly even change the way an omega smells too.  
Looking at the suppressants, my brow furrowed even further, they were as strong as they came; I'd seen these used for some shady stuff in court cases- the likes of identity fraud and gender cover-ups that made all kinds of crime possible.  
What the hell had he been doing?

I gave it a couple of hours before I finally decided that I needed answers to these questions, before Dean got any worse or into some serious trouble.  
I sunk down into my preferred armchair with the hundredth sigh of the day, and grabbed my phone.  
"Charlie, it's Sam," I announced sharply as she picked up, "you busy?"  
"No, not really. Just trying to cook a pizza," she replied, voice strained as the clanging of metal reached my ear, "nope, I'm done. What's up? How's Dean?"  
"He's surviving," I muttered, sweeping my hair back, "listen, I know that you see a lot of my brother, and this is going to sound weird but I've known you long enough to trust you- have you noticed him getting involved in any...illegal stuff?"  
"What? Illegal?" She asked, sounding confused and shocked, "No, I don't think so. I mean, he's downloaded a couple of seasons of Game of Thrones and we got into some government files together to check for info relating to new omega laws, but nothing other than that. Why? Is he in trouble? Is the FBI onto us? Crap, you're a lawyer, are you going report us? I really don't wanna get Shawshank’d."  
I groaned, shaking my head at the minor, unimportant things.  
He having done some heavy duty fraud or dealing would have at least linked everything up to make sense, but no.  
"Damn. No, no one's in trouble, I just want answers," I shared quietly, eyes closed as I tried to remain calm, "Charlie, he's been hiding drugs from me- and I'm not talking pot, I'm talking heavy-duty genetic modifiers here. Please, if you know something about it, just tell me. I'm done with all the secrets."  
There was silence from her side for a moment, before a long sigh.  
Really? She knew but I didn't?  
"Okay, so I know you guys are probably having a pretty dramatic domestic over this whole thing, but he'll tell you when he's ready, really," she said quickly as I grit my teeth, "he's ill, go easy on him- I mean, yeah, he made himself ill, but it was a choice he made and still thinks is right. I'd never do what he did; it was crazy! But...he's a very good guy, and he's sacrificed a lot."  
"Yeah, he already 'told' me- a lie about being violent and needing to tone it down so he didn't attack anyone, so I don't think he's going to let me in on his big secret; especially if he thinks I'm stupid enough to believe that, and that I don't know Level 5 black market stuff when I see it. I know, I know he's a good guy- he's the best around, and I'm sorry I can't be as great as everyone's favourite alpha," I started, voice low and dangerous as my eyes pulsed red behind closed lids, "but my brother is curled up in his room, burning himself out. I need to know why; I need to know what was worth this much to him."  
I could hear the intensity of her breathing through the piece of plastic; she started to protest and apologise, but was silenced by the frustrated roar I sent echoing through the phone, as well as the apartment.  
"It was for you, Sam, all for you," she uttered quietly, voice shaking in a way that I'd never heard from her, filling me with guilt that I filed away for later, "he's not an alpha."


	3. Walking Over Hot Coals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam finally finds out the truth, but what will he do with it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a little while to get this chapter to a state that I was happy with and I had to split it into two, but here you go. Thanks a load for the support and comments, I appreciate the constructive criticism and you letting me know if you want more.

I blinked, anger fading into shock as I leaned forwards to glare at the floor, though she swore at me and muttered a quick goodbye before I could interrogate her further.  
It...it sort of made sense now; he needed to block his beta genes and add an alpha scent- but at the same time this just made no sense at all.  
His body was, like, sex-god standard and we were equally matched in strength. There was the arrogant and controlling side of his personality too; all of it screamed alpha.  
Still, it was possible for betas to develop an alpha complex- it happened sometimes and wasn't that unusual, but there was no real reason to hide his true self and get so ill.  
Why didn't he tell me?  
Was there really that much shame?  
Charlie was a beta and everyone loved her- Crowley and Bobby were too and they'd done pretty well for themselves.  
So, why? And why would I have needed him to pretend to be an alpha?  
Just because he couldn't stand his younger brother being of a stronger gender?  
That didn't sound like the Dean I knew. None of it did.

I could feel my jaw begin to ache as the frustration set in again- why didn't he just tell me instead of lie? Why did he tell everyone in his group of loyal omegas, but not me?  
I'm his brother for fuck's sake!  
The omegas had even covered for him with the whole virus story and pills.  
"Sam?" He called, alarmed, as he burst into the room, "What's wrong?"  
His expression was a mixture of anxious and worried, his huge green eyes fixed on me, but in that moment I couldn't care.  
I could only be pushed so far, even by him.  
"What's-what's wrong?" I growled mockingly, eyes blazing red at him, "How about that you're a fucking beta and you've been lying to me this whole time? How about me having to find out from your fellow beta, rather than hear it from you?"  
He looked terrified as I screamed at him- no, it was more than that; he was absolutely petrified, his body fixed to that spot in the doorway.  
Good.  
I opened my mouth again to continue, but was suddenly hit by an overwhelming wave of omega scent; the best I'd ever smelled, actually...it was warm, and pleasantly familiar.  
Smelled like home.  
But what the hell? He had an omega here? Was he so scared because he'd been caught off guard after fucking one of his prized omegas behind my back while I thought he was ill?  
He was going out with a bang, huh? No wonder he looked so beautifully dishevelled, hair sticking up in all the right places, those little droplets of moisture clinging to the end of each spike.  
That was it; I was done with the stupid, brilliant son of a bitch.

"Sam...," he said quietly against my glare, though he clearly tried to keep his shaky voice calm and firm, "you've got it wrong- I'm not a beta."  
What?  
If not a beta and not an alpha, then....  
And, just like that, I could see it.  
There was the gentleness in my brother's eyes that I'd never taken the time to notice; it was beyond the alpha strength I'd always seen there. There were places that his muscles curved rather than bulked- there were those damn perfect, rounded lips too, the ones I'd wanted to kiss for years.  
And all this time I'd been fighting him, getting angry at him, and scaring him- he'd raised me better than that.  
"Ah," I groaned, burying my face in my hands from sheer shame, blanching to a level that had probably lightened my hair by a couple of shades.  
Now it linked up, even down to his omega-rights cause and how he only slept with them- they were the only ones that he could trust to keep his secret. There were the meds too, covering up his omega identity with the alpha scent.  
But why?  
"Sam?" he called hesitantly, having moved closer, hand out towards me in uncertainty; though he drew it back when I looked up, using it to nervously rub the back of his head, "I'm sorry, man, I know you're disappointed- I never wanted you to see me like this, I'm meant to be your big alpha brother, not some useless omega."  
I was still caught up in the shock of it as he spoke, tying all of the info together, but his words stung as he referred to himself in such a degrading way.  
It burned me to see that after everything he'd been trying to do to change the way the world saw omegas, he still thought of himself like that.  
Not on my life.  
"Dean, no. Don't say that," I replied firmly, shaking my head as I studied him carefully, noticing all those little details that had been covered up by the chemicals in his veins and simply by me seeing him as an alpha, "I'm so, so sorry for the last few days, I was frustrated. If I knew, I'd've never gotten so mad at you and lost control."  
He let out a puff of air; he didn't seem too happy with my reply.  
"That's why I didn't tell you," he muttered, looking away with a frown, "I don't want to be treated like something fragile; 'course, I don't wanna be treated like a bitch either."  
"Woah, don't you dare assume I would ever do that to you. Alpha or omega, you're the strongest person I've ever known, Dean- hell, I've spent my life looking up to you, wanting to be like you," I told him quickly as I stood from my chair, though he looked unconvinced, "you're you- that's what matters to me. All that class and gender shit the world's obsessed with, it doesn't mean a thing."  
That earned a smile and a shake of the head, as if he thought I was silly- well, better that than fear or anger.  
"I'm still your big brother and I'm still gonna kick your ass when you deserve it," he laughed quietly, some of the tension draining from his body, "really, thanks, Sam."  
There, that was better; he seemed more relaxed and was back to his usual jokes.  
"How are you feeling?" I asked after laughing with a shrug in reply to his promise, though I paused as a thought crossed my mind, "Wait, do you actually have an omega virus then?"  
He smiled tightly as he decided how to answer that question, making me internally sigh.  
"No, not exactly," he said uncomfortably, not meeting my eyes as he suddenly became nervous again- great, "it was the suppressants and the other things. I've been using them for a little while, guess it finally caught up with me. Don't worry 'bout it, I'll just wait for this to go, then find some different ones."  
I pursed my lips; using more of the stuff after all of this was a bad idea, but how long had he been using anyway?  
"How long, Dean?" I asked, sending him a sincerely worried look, knowing far better at this point than to scare him.  
That was the last thing I wanted anyway; even when he was an alpha to me, I never wanted to actually scare or hurt him, but I guess I didn't pay it any thought.  
That being said, I couldn't remember any time when he'd been even slightly omega-like.  
"Well, uh, y'know, about fifteen years...maybe a little longer," he admitted reluctantly- and with good reason; I swore I felt my heart sink to my stomach.  
"Fif-fifteen years? I- Dean, that's practically suicide! Who knows what kind of damage they've done to your system!" I gasped, the level of my panic obvious in my voice, "You should be dead! What were you thinking? Why did you do it, knowing the risks? What-"  
"You think I don't know all that? You think the others haven’t grilled me with the same question? I'm an idiot, I get it. And I can feel it all; the loneliness of not seeking out a mate, the fire in my veins and the unbearably painful lust when I'm supposed to be in heat," he spat the words out with distaste, eyes screwed shut as he clutched at his stomach, until he sighed and looked back up at me, "but I did it for you, Sammy- you presented as an alpha real early, a year before I knew I was an omega, and I knew I had to do it. An omega bringing up an alpha alone never works out- everyone knows that, and Dad was no use for anything other than occasionally hurling bottles at me, so I made myself into an alpha. You should’ve seen me; started lifting weights like there was no tomorrow and takin' those pills I’ve been getting from Crowley. Listen, I know you're probably pissed, but just...don't be, okay?"

I felt sick with misplaced guilt; it was my fault. I, through his choice, was the reason he was so ill.  
All my life he’d made decisions for me- it infuriated me how he thought I couldn't handle my own choices due to some kind of hero complex he had, but this was different.  
This was on a whole new level; the idiot had made himself ill for years to raise me, almost killed himself.  
And I was going to fix him up this time.  
"Okay," I whispered, nodding stiffly, "you...thank you, Dean, for all of it. But now I'm gonna take care of you, okay? Not as an omega, but as my brother and the most important part of my life, because you don't have to go through this alone. Even heroes like you need a little help some days."  
He let out a deep breath as a warm smile crept onto his face, sending a feeling of ease rushing over me.  
"That was kinda cheesy and I ain’t exactly a hero, but thanks," he beamed, laughing to himself, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I just didn't want to, y'know, disappoint you- if I knew you'd be so understanding I would have. And I know I should have expected the best of you, but I was just worried about it all."  
I hushed him with a caring look, taking the few steps forwards it took to reach him, then pulled him into a tight hug that, thankfully, was instantly returned.  
"You can stop worrying right now- I'd never be disappointed in you, Dean," I promised him quietly, eyes closed as I felt any tension left within me get melted away by his body heat, "hell, I'm proud of you; for bringing me up all alone and all your campaigning for omegas. For an alpha, what you did was brilliant, but as an omega, you're an inspiration- you fooled them all, Dean. Now, please, stop apologising and, wow, eat some ice or something because you're on fire."  
"No chick-flick moments, eh?" he laughed, though buried his face in my shoulder before we broke away, whispering into the crook of my neck, "Thank you, Sammy."  
I couldn't even put into words just how accidentally alluring that was; his soft, warm lips against my skin.  
And he's an omega too...but no, no, there was no way he'd want me like that- I'd lived for years with the knowledge that he didn't want me, it shouldn't feel any different now. When the time came for an alpha to claim him, I'd be happy for them, but I doubt that I'd ever be able to claim an omega myself.  
The only person I'd ever seen myself with was Dean; I just couldn't picture anyone else taking his place at my side.  
It was pretty stupid, but it was just the way my mind worked.

"You going back to bed?" I asked, leaning back against the kitchen counter as he actually did grab some ice from the freezer, putting it into a glass he’d got from the shelf.  
I wished he'd just use the same glass since I kept noticing random glasses littered all over the place, but I guess he had a good excuse.  
"Nah, mind if I stay out here with you?" he shook his head, resting the cool glass against his forehead with a sound of relief.  
"'Course not," I chuckled as I watched a droplet of water slide down the side of his face and drip onto his smooth, muscular chest, making our family tattoo glisten with moisture, "movie?"  
It was actually difficult to peel my eyes off of that smooth skin, with freckles lightly dotted in places, but I somehow managed.  
"Hell yeah, man, but I'm choosing this time- I'm not sitting through Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy again," he groaned, quickly setting his terms, "I'll sort out the movie, you crack open a window, deal?"  
My lips quirked at the edges at the memory of last time we tried to watch that- he complained about being lost in the plot for about twenty minutes, then nodded off in the popcorn.  
"Sure, but no crappy action horrors- especially not My Bloody Valentine, either version," I nodded, chuckling at his dramatic look of dismay, and heaved a couple of windows open for him.  
I let out a deep sigh at the lights that were beginning to brighten up the city through the rain as the sun sunk below the horizon; a lot had changed in one day, but the city looked the same as ever in all its hypocrisy and corruption.  
At least it was all on the outside now.

"Hey," he called softly, a hand on my shoulder, "you okay?"  
"Mm, yeah. Yeah, I'm great," I smiled honestly, turning back to him, "what've we got?"  
"Avengers," he grinned, returning to the couch and flopping down on it cheerily, making my smile widen as I joined, throwing him a bag of chips.  
We were only about ten minutes into the movie when there was a loud, desperate knocking at the door.  
I motioned for Dean to stay put and quickly moved to the door, tense and ready for any kind of fight- a group of alphas had once taken a strong dislike to Dean before and cornered us in an alley.  
Though, we took those guys down together, easily.  
All I could see through the peephole was a shade of reddish-orange that I'd recognise anywhere.  
"Charlie," I informed Dean with a sigh of relief as I opened the door to face the panicky beta, drenched in water, "hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"  
"Where's Dean?" she asked frantically, eyes darting around behind me, "What've you done to him?"  
My brother was up in a shot as I stared at her in confusion, unable to move my lips to respond.  
"Charlie! Calm down; it's all okay here. Everything's fine, we're okay," he quickly reassured her from my side until her breathing relaxed a little, eyes drifting between the two of us questioningly, "yeah, Sam's all up to date with everything."  
I stepped aside and closed the door as he led her into the kitchen and sat her down on a stool.  
"Damn- you, mister, can be one frickin' terrifying guy," she laughed breathlessly at me, filling my gut with that guilt I'd avoided earlier, "sorry for the drama; I was worried you were gonna hurt Dean because you were so angry on the phone."  
"Charlie, believe me, I'm so sorry for that- I just...lost it," I apologised quietly, my voice heavy with regret, "it won't happen again, especially now that I know."  
"It better not," she muttered, folding her arms with a sigh, "I swear, if you upset him just because he's an omega, I'll-"  
"Hey, leave him alone," Dean huffed, frowning at her, "I appreciate you're worried, and sure, he can be a bit intimidating sometimes, but he's my little brother, so don't even think about threatening him. Let's all just cool the hell down- ‘specially me, and carry on with the movie. You care to join us?"  
I blinked in surprise at the shorter man- I hadn't expected him to defend me against Charlie over such a meaningless, throwaway threat.  
Watching Dean hurl himself over the back of the couch with a grunt, I offered Charlie an apologetic smile with a confused shrug, to which she gave a nod and equally baffled look- seemed like we were both on the same page.  
He seemed cheerful enough, so we weren’t gonna argue.  
"Sam! Ice pack!" he hollered, not bothering to sit up or turn around.  
"Just go with it, I guess," I laughed quietly to the redhead as I opened the freezer and threw her a small towel to dry off with.  
With a light-hearted smile, she nodded and strolled over to where the omega was crashed and sat down on Dean's usual side of the couch.  
"Dudes, I freaking love this movie!" the beta squeaked after a few milliseconds of staring at the screen, suddenly launching the pair of them into a deep, geeky conversation about whether Marvel was cooler than DC.  
Save for Dean's love of Batman, I knew he'd vote Marvel every time.  
I grinned to myself as I wrapped a handful of ice into a cloth and put it on the table rather than interrupting the obviously very important debate, settling in my usual corner of the cushions.  
They gave up eventually; apparently it wasn't as heated as the Star Trek one a few weeks ago- I had to literally drag Dean away from that one before it got messy.  
"Aww man, now I'm stuck on the crappy middle bit," he complained, sitting higher than me and Charlie on account of his cushion in the middle rarely seeing any use, "Charlie, swap?"  
"Nope, I'm good," she grinned, shaking her head as she leant on the side, "and don't even think of playing the 'I'm ill' card."  
"Eh, I've got the best arm rest anyway," he laughed, resting against me in a surprisingly casual and relaxed way that sent a feeling of warmth through my chest- more than just the extreme body heat radiating off of that chest, "c'mon let's watch this."  
Without his alpha stuff and the need to hide his identity, Dean was completely different in some ways- like how he all but cuddled up to me as we watched, leaning into my open arms; though he was still his usual self in other ways, cracking awful jokes and innuendos, and barking orders at anyone who'd listen.  
It was a combination that I couldn't help but enjoy.  
"You know," he mumbled towards somewhere in the middle, tilting his head back and up to look at me, "you look like Thor."  
"Yeah?" I grinned at the random remark, "Want me to dye my hair blonde?"  
"No way. You look way better as you are," he laughed quietly, shaking his head with a distracted smile, an almost shy hand carding through my hair, "don't change anything, 'kay?"  
I was a little taken aback by his words and sudden request, but I smiled and nodded all the same.  
"Jeez, would you two just kiss already?" Charlie, whose presence I'd completely forgotten for a little while, suggested with an emphasised roll of the eyes, "Seriously, you guys' chemistry is obvious- I've never seen anything more natural, so just get on with it."  
I froze- was I really that obvious?  
Crap, I'd started treating Dean like an omega, hadn't I?  
Dean looked up at me, green eyes wide with something I couldn't read.  
He was probably embarrassed, or most likely freaked out- I didn't notice I was being so...affectionate; I had probably been leering over him like some creep.  
This wasn't right; it was like I was unintentionally taking advantage of him- my confused, omega brother.  
"No, no, I, uh," I started, a lump in my throat as I shuffled out from under my brother, not daring to look at him as I did so, "I'm sure it's just an effect of Dean coming off the suppressants. I need some air to clear my head."  
He moved away from me as though in a trance, and I made the mistake of glancing at him for just a fraction of a second, seeing his features devoid of any emotion as he paled and sat up straight, head held high and fists clenched at his sides.  
I winced at the horror-struck glower that Charlie shot me as I closed the door behind me.  
Damn, how was I supposed to fix this?


	4. A Glow of Ember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Winchesters are lost and confused, but can Sam fix things between him and Dean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for that long and totally unnecessary break! Thank you so much for the encouraging comments and kudos left on this story while I've been gone. Well, you deserve it, so here it is: the final chapter. Enjoy~

I let out a deep breath once I reached the small balcony at the end of the hall, gripping the rail impossibly tight, as though my life depended on crushing it.  
Whatever was going on, it was too much; my brother, whom I'd wanted for years, had basically revealed himself to be an omega- which was weird enough. Then he went and draped his body, which was hot in every sense of the word and almost naked, all over me.  
What was I supposed to do with that?  
Who knew what kind of hormonal issues he was having? For all I knew he could have just been snuggling up to the closest alpha he could find for security.  
It probably wasn't even me he was after, not really.  
And Charlie wasn't exactly helping.  
What was with her anyway? The look on her face...she expected me to take advantage of my brother? She was angry that I hadn't? That was way was off.  
The brother bit wasn't an issue- siblings got together all the time, it wasn't exactly unusual, it's just...Dean.  
Dean, who was everything to me- he'd looked so frozen with embarrassment at what the idiotic beta had said.  
But still, something just wasn’t right about what had happened.  
Sighing, I went over it again in my head, and then paused.  
I let out a groan and leant my forehead on the cool rail, letting my hair get soaked as my head peeked out from under the cover, glaring at the lights below, the cars beeping in mockery at my stupidity.  
He hadn't stiffened until after I'd started to move away.  
He was going to do it; kiss me, or at least he’d hoped that I would move in on him.  
I could have done it- could have got what I'd wanted all this time, but it wouldn't have been real, he just wanted an alpha.  
Then again, perhaps I owed him just that, whatever it meant to him.  
He deserved that much.

I pulled myself away from the edge of the city and got back inside as fast as I could.  
I was shot another glare from the redhead as I came back in, and found my brother all but curled up in her lap, face hidden.  
"Really, Sam? Are you happy now?" she asked, her voice sounding drained as she looked up at me, eyes crinkling with what looked like sadness.  
"I don't understand," I stated quietly, frowning lightly at the apparently sleeping omega, my hair dripping water all over the floor.  
"You mean you don't know?" she scoffed with no real humour, "Wow, you're denser than I thought."  
"Yeah, I get it, Dean needs an alpha- it makes sense that he'd try to grab someone he trusts; better me than some stranger," I sighed hopelessly, sitting down on the table edge to face her, "I was worried I'd be taking advantage of him- what if he suddenly snapped out of cuddly omega mode and back to his old alpha personality, and hated me for it?"  
"No, that's not it," she said quietly, actually looking surprised as she spoke more firmly, "Sam, do you know how long he's been in love with you?"  
"About half an hour," I laughed bitterly, shaking my head, "what does it matter?"  
"Damn. First, you're a fucking idiot," she huffed, jostling the body leaning on her lap with the movement, "secondly, try nearly twenty years."  
"What?" I gasped, a lump in my throat once again- if I hadn't been sitting I'd have probably collapsed with how my legs were shaking, "No, no that's impossible, he couldn't...."  
I stared blankly at the man; he was only twenty-nine years old, meaning he'd loved me pretty much since I was capable of a rational thought.  
I- this was brilliant, I'd never even considered that he'd feel the same way about me, but the situation...this was the worst possible way I could have found out something so good.  
"I wish it was. He deserves better than you," she replied venomously, glare setting in once again as she sighed, "I'm sorry, but he does; everything he's ever done has been for you, and this is what he gets."  
"Charlie, please. Just stop," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly on the last word, "yes, I know he deserves better- way better. I had no idea he even thought of me as anything more than a little brother, and what happened today, I thought it was just because of the cocktail of chemicals in him. Believe me, if I had any idea, any at all, that what he was showing today was real, I'd have kissed the life out of him in an instant. Look, I-I love him, Charlie, have for years. I just didn't think...can't believe I-"  
"Woah, what?" she blinked, looking down at Dean, who stirred slightly, then back up to me, "Are you serious?"  
I nodded silently, watching my brother shiver in his sleep rather than look at her.  
"Okay, okay, this is good," she sighed with a smile, which quickly drained away, "no, no, no, actually this is bad, like really bad."  
"How?" I frowned, finally glancing back up at her, "How is this bad? Did he say something while I was out?"  
"No, not exactly- I mean, sure, you just kinda broke his heart and everything," she muttered down at the man as I paled, "but it's more than that; you rejected your mate."  
"Mate? No, we're not mated," I quickly disagreed with a frown, though I suddenly felt my chest warming at the mere thought of that, "you know that I only found out he's an omega today."  
"No, not your literal mate, idiot, your true mate," she sighed, shaking her head with her lip getting chewed thoughtfully between her teeth, "for you guys to have both been so cluelessly but secretly in love with each other all these years and to have stuck together with both your alpha personalities...isn't it obvious? Even if you don't believe in it, Dean does. I think- I mean, it sounds like you're soulmates Sam."  
I struggled to hold down the couple of chips I'd had earlier as I got what she was saying- I did think it was possible for two people to be linked so thoroughly given all the people I’d seen together over the years, but for one to reject the other...it was one of the most painful blows possible.  
A thing like that…it could send the omega into a complete meltdown- I'd seen it firsthand; that's how Cas, one of Dean's closest friends, had ended up in an asylum for the past three years.  
"Do you think it would be better for me to leave now so he doesn’t have to face me, or to try and fix this?" I uttered, my voice sounding hollow as I realised what I may have done to him.  
I don't know what I'd do without him, but if leaving would save him then I'd have to do it. If he did lose his mind though, I wasn't going to leave him to rot in some mental institution.  
Damn, I'm sorry, Dean.  
"Stay; his brain isn't jello yet. Dean's still Dean, so naturally he was furious when you left, but he's terrified underneath it all. He doesn’t want to lose you, Sam," she explained with a sigh, and then offered her advice, "he should come around soon if you guys just talk it out. Just look after for him for once.”  
"I will," I replied quietly, frowning as he shifted uncomfortably, "how's he doing? Still on fire?"  
"Like Mount freaking Doom," she nodded, a hand against the back of his neck.  
With a resolute sigh I got up, getting a glare until I said I wasn't leaving the room, and grabbed some cold lemon pie from the fridge- he hadn’t wanted to risk touching the chips I gave him earlier, but knowing him he’d be all for some pie.  
"Do you mind if I talk to him alone for a little bit?" I asked hesitantly, both knowing and acknowledging that in that moment she had charge over the room, "I need to fix this."  
"You know him," she laughed lightly at the pie, a smile threatening her lips, "of course, but call me if he gets too panicky. I'm not really sure why he sees me as a comfort, but he talks to me when he's down- that's how I've known about you guys and how he feels about you for so long."  
I felt a pang of jealousy for a split second- how could she try and steal him from me?  
No, that wasn't what was going on here; not at all.  
Stupid.  
I just needed to keep calm or I'd fuck things up further.  
That was where all this had started anyway.  
"Thanks," I mumbled, then cleared my throat as I sat back down opposite them.  
"Come on, get off me, big guy," she said with a gentle firmness as she nudged him awake and off her lap a little, "just sayin' but you're making my leg sweat and it’s gross."  
He sat up slowly with an almost pitiful groan, eyes screwed shut in what I feared was pain as his hand darted to his stomach, though he gritted his teeth and moved it away just as quickly.  
"I'll be back in a little while," she told him, to which he sighed, "I'm only going to the store- need to grab a present for Dorothy or she'll go Wicked Witch on my ass."  
"Mm," was his only response once she got up as he yawned, and then finally opened his eyes to glare bitterly at me- great, "what do you want, Sam?"  
"To apologise," I replied softly, though flinched internally at his tone, offering the plate of pie, which he took suspiciously with pursed lips as Charlie shot me a smile of encouragement, "I messed up."  
"Damn right you did!" he growled, though his voice sounded broken, coming out with a deep waver that made me internally wince.  
Okay, this was bad- very bad, but he seemed more upset than angry even though he was trying to hide it, so there was still a chance that he'd act rationally and hear what I had to say.  
"I'm so, so sorry, Dean. Listen, I'm just going to say it straight up- you can hate me or kick me out or whatever later, just hear me out for now. You deserve to know why I took off earlier," I started, looking at him with the most care, respect and sincerity I could manage, "I've had a thing for you for years, but two alphas just don't work like that so I, uh, I never told you. And I really had no idea you felt tied to me in the same way, honestly, so I thought it was just your body responding to me rather than actually you and your feelings. I didn't want it, if anything at all, to just be a physical thing with no feelings- I just can't take the thought of that after all this time together. Dean...Charlie told me how you feel, how you've always felt about me- even about you guys thinking that I'm your true mate; and I agree, if you still want me. I, well, I get it if you don't- I mean, I've been so fucking stupid, and pushing you away was the worst thing I could have done. I'm sorry. I just want you to know that you're the most important part of my life and I'm proud of you, of everything you've accomplished. I'm glad to have spent so long with you, Dean. If you want me to go, I'll go; just promise me you'll get yourself healthy again and take care."  
Considering that I'd just bared my soul to him and freaking given my only potential mate an open invitation to cast me out of his life, I felt, amongst the dread and fear, a sort of...calm- I'd manage to fix this fuck-up, or he'd ask me to leave so that he could get on with his life. Either way, he'd get to be happy, which was what he deserved.  
I studied him with a sad smile, which, if his reaction was anything to go by, somehow expressed exactly those thoughts.

"Wow, well that was quite an apology. Sam…I…," he sighed after a moment of silence, shaking his head as he suddenly cracked a slight smile, "no, we've both been idiots. I just, Sam, I literally can't control my reactions to things. Alpha me was strong and cool- now I got rid of most of that and can hardly do anything without getting hysterical, but I'm fighting it the whole time in my head. It's like I'm stuck with the body and emotions of an omega, but the mind and strength of an alpha- I have no idea what to do with that. I don't mean to react as extremely as I have over the last couple of days, I just can't hold it back. Sure, I was fucking heartbroken when you walked away earlier, but if I wasn't suffering from this freakin' omega shutdown I'd've said something- I just couldn't. Shit, I'm rambling like an old woman."  
He paused to catch his breath as I nodded, trying to look as supportive and encouraging as I could because he really was just spilling everything out, but I understood what he was trying to say.  
Some bits of this were just his omega side coming out, but he was retaining his alpha state of mind, so what he felt was real and had existed, hidden, for a long time.  
"Damn, I'm no good at this emotional crap. Listen, what I'm sayin' is that I get it, I really do- we've both made the same mistake here. And, actually, you leaving even though you want me shows just how serious you are about this," he tried to clear up, sitting forwards on the edge of the cushion so that our knees leaned against each other, sending a spark through me that he seemed to feel too, "I know you didn't mean to say no to that. I was kinda unclear since my body was just taking control to ask you, and I was lettin’ it happen, dammit. So, I'll ask you again, Sam; properly this time."  
I had to play the last part of that over in my head a couple of times to make sure I was interpreting it right; I stared at him in confusion for a moment as he watched me thread it all together, a smile gradually growing on my lips.  
Now it was my breath that caught in my throat, my pulse speeding up as he shot me a perfect smile that could steal away anyone's heart.  
I was so damn lucky it was still mine he was after.  
"We've had the hots for each other for…like ever, so we might as well make it official- I'm a little old fashioned like that," he joked with a wink, taking my hand in both his slightly smaller ones, "be my alpha, Sammy?"  
It was funny; when people did ask the big question rather than just drill each other, it was always the alpha, but given our situation it wouldn't have been right any other way.  
"'Course I will," I smiled, leaning my forehead against his as I caught his cheeks with my fingertips, stroking along that beautiful, strong jaw that I so admired, "let's just forget all the crazy shit that's happened; all the arguing and the lies and secrecy, and just, you know, start again...as mates."  
Saying the words to seal the two of us together and finally being able to use that exclusive term felt exhilarating, sending a shiver through us both as Dean nodded with a perfect grin that made tears spring to my eyes.

I kept still, allowing him to be the one to move first, tilting his head so that those perfectly shaped lips brushed mine surprisingly softly. The long-awaited contact sent a pulse through me, a desperation to grab him and, well, screw him into the couch- luckily, controlling urges was a talent I prized myself with when it came to desire.  
I gently kissed back, tongue flicking across his lips until his mouth opened, corners curled upwards in a smile.  
And there it was; the taste of everything Dean- the sweetness of his powerful omega scent was the strongest, but beyond that were the real bits that brought his perfection together: the subdued sharpness of his alpha undertones, the familiar musk of his old leather jacket and his beloved car's upholstery. It was just...Dean.  
Among a world of other reasons, this was just part of why I was so glad that it was me who my brother chose; any other alpha would miss these beautiful little things that made him who he was.  
Gently pulling him further forwards as his lips moved with mine, I curled a hand around the back of his neck, stroking the soft hair that ended there, drawing a strange but happy sound from the god before me.  
Neither of us could help but laugh into the kiss- it wasn't a quick clash fuelled by lust, nor was it an intense confirmation of our deep feelings. It was just what we had always been; it was a relaxed and happy moment with the guy whose back I'd had all my life, just as he'd had mine.  
It could never have ended up any other way.  
"Thanks for lettin’ me take control," he chuckled with a light but definite blush after reluctantly separating his mouth from mine, then laughed again, "I'll kick your ass if you ever mention that sound I just made."  
I couldn't restrain my laughter at that as I threw my head back.  
"A moan, definitely a moan! But don't worry; I know you can still take me down if you wanted to. You wouldn't be right without being your bossy little self," I joked as I got up and slid onto the couch beside him, though there was something that lingered warningly at the back of my mind as he tried to steal my lips again, "that being said, we do still have the other problem- the one where you're ill."  
"Hmm," he nodded, begrudging the acknowledgement of the issue, even though I could feel the warmth coming from him like a space heater, though there was soon a glint of something in his eyes; something that held the promise of mischief, "you know, the best way of fixing me is probably by kicking my body into omega-overdrive, which means taking those heat pills and seeing what my alpha can do."  
That and a signature wink was more than enough to give me an idea of how he wanted to play this.  
And, hell, I was up for that!  
"Tomorrow?" I grinned, scruffing up his hair and kissing him playfully on his freckle-dusted nose- it was amazing just how normal and easy it felt with him, as though we had been doing this all our lives, “Hell, if you want I’ll even try to make dinner for you first, but I think we both know that won’t end well.”  
"Yeah? Well, I might hold you to that anyway, just for fun," he agreed with a warm, free laugh, leaning into me as we eventually picked up the movie from where we’d left off, “tomorrow it is, Alpha.”  
That last word flowed so easily off of his tongue, filling me with more happiness than I’d felt in a long time; maybe even ever, and it felt like somehow the very word was made just to be uttered by him like that.

 

In that moment, I don't think we could've been happier if we'd tried.  
The rest of the night was a warm, sweet-smelling haze, but by the looks of the photo left on my phone in the morning, Charlie had eventually returned and found us both asleep in front of the TV; Dean snuggled up in my lap, facing me, with my own arms wrapped protectively around him.  
That picture was a definite keeper- even if Dean, who seemed to be getting better already, did kept complaining that it made him look like ‘a friggin' kitten'; he just didn't want to admit that he could be far too cute for his own good when he wasn’t up and bossing me around.  
He was stubborn as hell, but I wouldn't have him any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was meant to be one chapter longer, but that last chapter just didn't flow right and felt more like a bit of extra babble so I decided against it (which was also why it took so damn long to add this final chapter). Anyway, I hope you guys have enjoyed the ending, as well as the whole story- let me know! Thanks for reading.
> 
> *UPDATE*   
> As a couple of readers have confirmed my worries that the ending was still lacking some things (which were intended to be added but got cut out), I will be adding one more chapter. Stay tuned!


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